To think dieting in your late 60's is pretty futile?

[Udderly]

MIL recently went on a diet as she felt she had put on weight. She's not a big lady by any means, I'd say a size 10, maybe 12.
She did it, lost her weight and obviously must have been happy with the outcome.
When DH told me, I was absolutely horrified at the prospect of someone at that stage of life feeling the need to diet. To put it in context, I love my food, only ever dieted once for my wedding and hated every minute of it.
AIBU to think this is strange behaviour? Concern about my figure certainly won't be up there on my list of priorities when I'm hitting 70.

YABU. Her body, her right. If she felt uncomfortable at that size, why shouldn't she diet? Just because she's in her 60's? I'm sure you wouldn't say that to someone in their 30's!

Not just about figure but about health perhaps?
Being 'overweight', eating wrong foods and taking no exercise are all contributory factors to whole host of nasties than can catch you - heart problems, cancers, diabetes etc etc.
Perhaps she was "feeling old" and wanted a bit of a boost?

My mother has spent most of her adult life dieting, I think her weight hs probably flucuated by a stone at most.
She never really looks any different to me.
She's now 76 and still diets ,pointless but I suppose we look at it differently.
When I was young I thought 48 was ancient ,now I am 48 and I feel no different to back then in my 20's.
Your mil probably feels the same.

Is it ridiculous for someone over 60 to care about their health ? to take exercise?

If you want to court heart disease and myriad cancers then you just let it all go to hell and don't bother. However if you want to live a long and healthy life and not be an ENORMOUS burden on the tax payer, you take care of yourself. Simple.

YABU. Why shouldn't a lady in her 60's, 70's or 80's feel good about the way she looks and feels about herself? Good on her I think. Maybe if we all took a look at ourselves when we'd gained a few lbs and addressed it there and then, there'd e no need to have slimming clubs/threads etc and we'd all e so much healthier and happier!

I have no problem with her making any choice she desires - her life, if she wants to die her hair Rihanna red and run off with One Direction so be it.
What I suppose I want to know is whether it is normal or odd at that age to diet purely for vanity, and would you be arsed?
She is not what you would consider overweight, its not for medicinal reasons such as cholesterol or diabetes, she doesn't have an unhealthy diet anyway, and she chose to lose weight by eating less, not excercising. In those circumstances I find it odd.
Also, come that age, I think I would have made peace with my body and the fact that age and gravity would prevent me from having any aspirations of an Elle McPhearson body. I would have thought at that age the pressure to conform to the ideal image would have lifted somewhat? I feel a bit sad for her, I would hate to feel that way at that age.
So is it odd, and would most people be arsed?

I think you are mad

YABU. My grandmother was extremely proud of her weightwatcher's ribbon - she was in her 80s. My MiL gave up smoking and started WW at the same time, both very successful. Not in her 80s, but past 60.

Who says you should stop caring what you look like or how you eat just because you've reached 60? Hope I can stay in shape into my 90s personally!

YABcompletelyU!

I am mid forties and lost a lot of weight last year. Getting back into my "thin" wardrobe, having all that choice of colour and cut was and still is such a joy. Makes getting up in the morning far more fun too. It's not an obsession, there are plenty of other things in life I enjoy, but if I'm around in 50 years time I hope I'll be a vain old lady, otherwise I won't really be me any more :)

Yadbu. A size 10-12 isn't that small, she probably wants to be slimmer, and feel more comfortable in her clothing. Can't stand confining clothing myself. My mother currently has a gentleman friend, at age 78. She loves to shop and buy new clothing, toiletries, get her hair done. You are still the same person at age 75 that you were at age 20, or 40. Hopefully a better version of your younger self.

Better meaning mature, compassionate, fair, understand, patient, optimistic.

Why shouldn't people in their 60s be allowed some vanity? Is vanity only a privilege of the young?

Are you implying that in her late 60s Mil has one foot in the grave?
I know a wonderful lady who at 65 has a figure and general look to die for -she changed her diet due to high cholesterol, lost about half a stone and feels tremendous.
Yabu.

Not strange at all. My aunt is 78 but went on a diet and lost a stone recently. She is much, much happier to be an 8/10 than a 10/12! Feels fitter, goes on more walks, does her garden with more energy.

I think we'd all hope we'd be at peace with ourselves by retrement sort of age. However, if your trousers don't fit it's a pain and losing a little weight so they're not too tight is a reasoable thing to do. It's not shocking. My mil and her friends have found they tend to put on a bit of weight on their stomachs now and it bothers them.If you're used to looking a certain way in your clothes and then you have a straining zip I can see why you'd be moved to dirt.

70 is so not that old.

YABU

diet not dirt!

'Also, come that age, I think I would have made peace with my body and the fact that age and gravity would prevent me from having any aspirations of an Elle McPhearson body. I would have thought at that age the pressure to conform to the ideal image would have lifted somewhat? I feel a bit sad for her, I would hate to feel that way at that age.'

OMG How old are you, child?
If losing weight gives her a sense of pride and a positive attitude, then it's of great benefit to her mental health.
Physically, it will do her good to maintain a sensible weight. I won't show this thread to my mother, she's want to set you straight about the over-seventies, big time.

I really don't think that the young and the middle-aged have any right at all to dictate to the elderly that they should no longer care about their looks.

Anyway, personally I cannot bear looking at old people that have let themselves go. So sad not to love yourself.

I think it's a healthy sign that she still cares about her body but not in an obsessive way. Once we stop being body-proud we are heading towards a body-bag in the near future.

Eyeballing someone is a very unreliable way to estimate their weight. The aunt however may have scales (or waistbands) to tell her.

It is much, much healthier to be within a certain weight range. How you perceive you look is a secondary consideration.

My mum is 65 and still diets.

She's 65 but she feels about 35.

It kinda creeps up on you.

Come see us in 30/40 years and tell us you still think its silly.

You sound like a silly child saying "ewww" at the thought of 50 year olds having sex.

YABU

How out of the loop are you OP?! My gran's only recently stopped dieting in one form or another due to her colostomy bag giving her bigger issues to think about (lots of different medications means that chronic diorrhea makes the bag leak fairly often and means she currently weighs about 7stone). Before that she went on plenty of "diets" to lose weight. She's 88 this year btw.

My Mum, a curvy 14, dropped a stone last year and now runs around after my 5 and 2.5 year old like a whippet. She's 68 and in fantastic shape. She says it makes such a difference and is able to run around with them in her arms/on her back without feeling any weight bearing pressure. The fact that she looks stunning too is an added bonus .

Although I hope by that time I'll have reached the 'who gives a %&$£, pass me a cake' stage, if it makes her feel good about herself then that's fine too.

'You sound like a silly child saying "ewww" at the thought of 50 year olds having sex.'

Quite.